Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-01-28
Interstate Commerce Bill.


by railroad, or partly by railroad and
partly by water when both are used
under common control, management
or arrangement, through more than one
State or Territory, or from any place in
the United States to an adjacent foreign
country. 1t defines the term "railroad
to include all bridges and ferries used
or operated by any railroad. All charges
made for any service rendered in the
transportation of passengers or property
shall be reasonable aud just, and every
unjust and unreasonable charge for such
service is prohibited a nd declared 10 be
unlawful.
Section two makes it Unlawful for any
common carrier subject to the provls-
ions Of this act 10 charge. demand, COL
lect or receive directly or indirectly,
from any person or persons, a greater
or less compensation fol any service
rendered in the transportation of pas
sengers or property than it charges: de-
mantls, collects or receives from any
other person or persons for doing ioT
him or them alike aud contemporaneous
service in the transportation Of like
kind of traffic under substantially SIM
liar circumstances aud conditions.
Section three makes il unlawful for
any common carrier subject To the pro-
visions of this act to make or give any
undue or unreasonable preference or
advantage 10 any particular person,
company, firm, corporation or locality,
or any any particular description OF
traffic. Every common carrier subject
TO the provisions OF this act shall, ac-
cording TO their respective powers, aford
all reasonable, proper and equal faclll
ties for the interchange Of traffic be
tween their respective lines, aud for the
receiving, forwarding and delivering OF
passenger and property TO and from
their several lines and those connecting
herewith, and shall not discriminate in
their rates and charges between such
connecting lines.
Sections four and five Uhe long and
short haul and pooling sections) are as
follows:
Section 4. That it shall be unlawful
for any common carrier subject 10 the
provisions of this act. TO charge or re-
ceive any greater compensation in the
aggregate for the transportation of pas.
sengers, or of like kind Of property, un-
der substantially similar circumstances
and conditions, for shorter than for
longer distance over the same line, in
the same direction, the shorter being in
cluded within the longer distance; but
this shall not be construed as authoriz-
ing any common carrier within the
terms of this act to charge or receive as
great compensation for a shorter as for
longer distance; provided, however,
that upon application to the commission
appointed under the provisions of this
act, such common carrier may, in spec
ial cases, after investigation by the com
mission. be authorized to charge less for
longer than for shorter distances for the
transportation of passengers or prop
erty, and the commission may, from
time to time, prescribe the extent TO
which such designated common carrier
may be relieved from the operation of
this section OF this act.
Section 5. That it shall be unlawful
for any common carrier subject to the
provisions of this act to enter into any
contract, agreement or combination
with any other common carrier or carri-
ers for the pooling of freights Of differ
ent and competing railroads, or to di
vide between them the aggregate or net
proceeds of the earnings of such rail
roads or any portion thereof, and in any
case of an agreement for the pooling Of
freights as aforesaid, each day of its
continuance shall be deemed separate
offense.
Section six requires that after ninety
days from the passage of the act every
common carrier subject to its provisions.
shall have printed and kept for public
inspection schedules showing its rates,
fares and charges, and in addition to re-
curing the railroads to give them pub
licity at all the Gepots on their several
lines, it gives authority to the commits
sion, where it is proper and necessary,
to require them to give publicity to their
rates at other places beyond the lines of
their several railroads. 1t also pro-
vides that the rates, fares and charges
shall not be raised except after ten days
of nublic notice, but that they may be
reduced without previous public notice !;
the notice, however, shall be simultane
Gus with the reduction itself.
Section seven makes it unlawful for
any common carrier to enter into any
combination or agreement TO prevent
the carriage of freights from being con-
tinuous from the place of shipment to
the place of destination.
Section eight declares that any COM
mon carrier violating the provisions of
the act shall be liable to the person or
persons injured thereby for the full
amount of damages sustained in conse-
quence of any such violation, together
with a reasonable counsel or attorneys
fee.
The ninth section provides that per-
SONS claiming to have been damaged by
the action of common carriers may pro-
coed for recovery of their damages
either in the courts of the United States
or before the commission herein prCvid-